a message from the
artistic and managing directors
Thank you for joining us for Two Jews Walk into a War… by Seth Rozin. During a season in which we celebrate the remarkable resilience of the human spirit, this play captures that element eloquently with both charm and wit. As we witness the two characters in this play working together to save their religion against all hope, we’re reminded of the power of persistence. We’re also happy to welcome back both Joel Colodner and Jeremiah Kissel to our stage. We’re pleased to have them reunite in this production after performing together in the critically-acclaimed Imagining Madoff. Separately, they have appeared in some of our favorite shows: Jeremiah having last been seen in our smash hit Fiddler on the Roof, and Joel in our highly-acclaimed production of Freud’s Last Session, among many others. With director Will LeBow at the helm, we’re excited to bring another season to a close with this wonderful comedy. Next year, New Repertory Theatre will celebrate 35 seasons of presenting plays that speak powerfully to the vital ideas of our time and continue a tradition of producing theatre that is bold, timely, and essential. We’re excited to share with you our 2018-2019 season we’ve entitled AWAKENING, featuring seven illuminating and thought-provoking works. We hope you’ll join us for another extraordinary year at New Rep! Thank you again for visiting us today. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Jim Petosa Artistic Director
TOP: THE CAST OF FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.
Harriet Sheets Managing Director
Andrew / Brilliant Pictures. 2Photo: 01 7-2 018 Brilliant se ason
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n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
in residence at the Mosesian Center for the Arts
Jim Petosa Artistic Director
321 arsenal st, watertown
Harriet Sheets Managing Director
presents
Two Jews Walk into a war... by
Seth Rozin
directed by Will music consultation by Hankus
scenic designer
Lebow
Netsky, Klezmer Conservatory band
COSTUME designer
lighting designer
Nancy Leary˚
Jon Savageº
SOUND DESIGNER & engineer
Lee Schuna
Karen Perlow˚ stage manager
Becca Freifeld*
cast (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
Joel Colodner* Ishaq Jeremiah Kissel* Zeblyan
musicians
Grant Smith Percussion
Neema Jan Oud
setting
T I M E the recent past P LA C E the partially-destroyed chapel of the only remaining
synagogue in Kabul, Afghanistan
There will be no intermission.
˚
member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 * member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited.
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Additional Production Staff assistant director Alex
Schneps
SEASON SPONSORS
Props manager/associate scenic desginer
Ryan Bates production assistant Christine
Dickinson
master electrician
Katie Hoolsema
Technical director
Robert Dew
scenery
Wooden Kiwi Productions – Peter Colao and Richard Wood, Partners fight coordinator
Samantha Richert
Special thanks
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc (www.playscripts.com)
Boston University
1149 Washington Street Newton, MA 02460 617-969-1300
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n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
note s fro m the direc tor:
Will LeBow
When all but TWO of your once 30,000 plus community have either left or died off, why would you stay? In the beginning of Seth Rozin’s ‘vaudeville’ about the last two Jews in Kabul we find Zeblyan and Ishaq engaged in the struggle to find meaningfulness in continuing on after Yakob’s recent death. Yakob had been the peacemaker, the go-between who acted as a buffer between these two. Their path forward without Yakob is a monumental struggle between two men who truly hate each other. This is a special production because of the two actors who inhabit Rozin’s play. In Jeremiah and Joel I am fortunate to have two great players who are supremely suited for these roles. And their reuniting here at New Rep, after performing together in Imagining Madoff, makes it even sweeter—truly to our theatre community’s great good fortune. Despite some dire circumstances, Rozin is able to find humor in the war-torn environment of our play. I think he shows us that we need to laugh maybe just a little each day in order to continue to see our lives as having meaning in order just to go on. Two Jews Walk into a War… lets us see how the last two members of this community try to put aside their hatred for each other and actually work together. It’s a very bumpy ride at times, but they must take it.
Will LeBow
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note s on
two jews walk into a war... bY RUTH SPACK
I won’t let Jewish history die in Afghanistan. - Zebulon Simantov Who would have protected the Torah? - Ishaq Levin J ewish H ist ory of Afg h an i stan
Recorded history of Jewish life in Afghanistan dates back to seventh century CE. At its height in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the Jewish population is estimated to have reached 40,000, but it was virtually decimated during the Mongolian invasion of 1222. The population swelled again in 1839 when Persian Jews sought refuge from forced conversion to Islam. In 1870, harsh anti-Jewish measures in Afghanistan, including pogroms, triggered a sizeable exodus to neighboring countries. The remaining Jewish community, numbering approximately 5,000, briefly flourished in the early 1930s under the rule of King Nadir Shah, who gave them equal rights as citizens. But his assassination in 1933, coupled with Nazi propaganda, led to their persecution and ghettoization. After the government lifted immigration restrictions in 1951, allowing Jews to leave Afghanistan without having to revoke citizenship, most Jewish families emigrated, primarily to Israel and the United States. All but a handful of Jews departed between the 1979 Soviet invasion and the 1996 Taliban takeover of Kabul. In 2005, there were only two known Jews in Afghanistan. Today there is one.
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Ish aq L ev i n : T h e S e c o n d - t o L ast J ew i n A f g h a n i sta n
Ishaq Levin was born circa 1925 in Herat, Afghanistan, a flourishing center of Jewish cultural and intellectual life. At the time of the Soviet invasion, he moved to Kabul, where he made his living as a fortune teller for Muslim women, selling love potions and medicines. As the fighting between the Soviets and the mujahideen militia intensified in the 1980s, Levin’s wife and children immigrated to Israel, as did his rabbi. With no other Jews remaining in the country, as far as he knew, Levin moved into a room on the first floor of the unobtrusive synagogue on Flower Street (erected in 1966), which had been significantly damaged by rocket fire. When asked by reporters why he hadn’t joined his family in Israel, Levin responded, “Who would have protected the Torah?” Zeb ul o n Si m a n t o v: T h e L a st J ew i n A fg h a n i sta n
Zebulon Simantov was born in Herat in 1959. He knew Levin from childhood, as they lived on the same street. He, too, moved to Kabul to escape the mujahideen and later traveled to Turkmenistan to find a bride. Simantov returned to Kabul in 1992 to start a carpet export business. When asked why he hadn’t immigrated to Israel with his wife and children, Simantov said, “I won’t let Jewish history die in Afghanistan.” When Simantov’s home was destroyed in 1998 during the ongoing civil war, he moved into a room on the second floor of the synagogue where Levin resided as caretaker. Levin initially welcomed the company. Their friendship was short-lived. n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
T he Fe ud Between th e O n ly T w o Je ws in Afghan i stan
Animosity arose almost immediately when Simantov offered to help the older man immigrate to Israel to escape the bitter cold winter of Kabul. Claiming Simantov only wanted control of the synagogue, Levin refused to leave the country. Tension escalated when Levin accused Simantov of stealing a sacred Torah scroll. Simantov initially maintained Levin was the thief, but he had to admit culpability when witnesses verified his guilt. In a letter of complaint to the Taliban interior minister, Levin claimed Simantov had intended to sell the Torah for personal profit. Simantov insisted he’d planned to send the scroll to Israel for safekeeping. Levin alleged Simantov was spying for Israel. Simantov alleged Levin was running a brothel. The two men sometimes came to blows. Taliban officials periodically sent Levin and Simantov to jail, where they were beaten by guards demanding they convert to Islam. During their detentions, the Taliban ransacked the synagogue, seizing the Torah and other valuable items, and robbed Simantov’s warehouse of his rug collection, leaving him with no source of income. None of these shared hardships deterred the squabbling. In the presence of visitors and reporters, the two men readily spewed vitriol in Dari, their native tongue. Levin: “He is arrogant and ruthless.” Simantov: “He’s a donkey who thinks only of himself.” Levin: “He’s a liar and a thief.” Simantov: “He is a magician and a pimp.”
Levin: “He is worse than the Taliban.” Simantov: “A dog is better than him.” When Levin passed away in 2005, Taliban officials suspected Simantov of murder. But a post-mortem examination revealed Levin had died of natural causes. He was buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. L i fe A ft er L e v i n
For several years after Levin’s death, Siminitov made a living as a landlord, renting space on the ground floor of the synagogue for a flower shop, carpet business, and café, all of which were managed by local Muslims. Sayed Ahmad, who ran the restaurant until it closed in 2013, considered Simantov a friend. “Some of my customers know this is the synagogue and know about the Jew upstairs,” he told Reuters news, “but they don’t care and neither do I.” Today, fifty-nine-year-old Simantov subsists largely on donations from Afghan Jews in the diaspora. When he has Jewish visitors from the United States or Europe, he conducts services in Hebrew in the dusty, crumbling synagogue. But mostly he practices Judaism alone in his one-room apartment. Following tradition, he wears a yarmulke (skullcap), straps on tefillin (leather boxes containing sacred texts) for daily prayer, observes the Sabbath and other holy days, keeps kosher by ritually slaughtering his own meat, and maintains the Jewish cemetery. Although he suffers from loneliness to the extent that he sometimes contemplates moving to Israel, Simantov is proud of his role in preserving his country’s Jewish heritage: “I feel like the lion of Afghanistan.”
P RODU CTION HISTORY
Two Jews Walk into a War . . . opened as a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere at Florida Stage (2009), New Jersey Repertory Theater (2009), and Playwrights Theater of New Jersey (2010), followed by regional productions in New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Virginia, and Michigan.
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meet the artists Joel Colodner* (Ishaq) returns to
New Repertory Theatre after performing in Regular Singing, Freud’s Last Session, Imagining Madoff, The Elephant Man, Three Viewings, and Indulgences. Other area credits include Sorry and That Hopey Changey Thing (Greater Boston Stage Company); Sweet and Sad (Gloucester Stage); It’s a Wonderful Life, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Mrs. Whitney (Merrimack Repertory Theatre); Our Town (Huntington Theatre Company); The Chosen and My Name is Asher Lev (Lyric Stage Company); The Light in the Piazza (SpeakEasy Stage Company); and numerous roles with Actors’ Shakespeare Project. Regional credits include Streamers, Comedians, and Hamlet (Arena Stage); The Rainmaker (Guthrie Theatre); An American Clock, Measure for Measure, and Wild Oats (Mark Taper Forum); The Threepenny Opera (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); and The Seagull (Pittsburgh Public Theatre). OffBroadway credits include How I Learned to Drive (Vineyard Theatre). Broadway credits include work with the Acting Company and Phoenix Theatre. Television credits include Moonlighting, Remington Steele, Eight is Enough, Highway to Heaven, St. Elsewhere, 21 Jump Street, Cagney and Lacey, and LA Law. Mr. Colodner earned his BA from Cornell University and MFA from Southern Methodist University. Originally from New York, he resides in Portsmouth, NH. JEREMIAH KISSEL* (Zeblyan) returns to
New Repertory Theatre after performing in Fiddler on the Roof, Broken Glass, The King of Second Avenue, Imagining Madoff, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Twelfth Night, and Hard Times. Area credits include appearances at the Huntington, A.R.T., Commonwealth Shakespeare, the Lyric Stage, and Merrimack 8
Repertory Theatre, as well as Symphony Hall. Screen credits include The Town, The Fighter, The Great Debaters, Stronger, and Joy. He is the recipient of two Elliot Norton Awards (1990, 2014), two IRNEs, and the Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence (2003). SETH ROZIN (Playwright) is the author of numerous plays, including Human Rites, Strut, A Tool for the Living, The Three Christs of Manhattan (produced at InterAct Theatre Company, 2015), Two Jews Walk Into A War... (National New Play Network rolling world premieres at Florida Stage, Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey and New Jersey Rep, plus productions at Shadowlands Theater, Merrimack Rep, Unicorn Theatre, InterAct, Florida Studio Theatre, GEVA Theater, Barter Theater and Jewish Theatre of Grand Rapids; published by Playscripts.com), Black Gold (NNPN rolling world premieres at InterAct, Phoenix Theatre, PROP Thtr, Arts West Playhouse), Reinventing Eden (InterAct), Missing Link (InterAct, Civic Theatre of Schenectady), The Space Between Us (readings at Abington Theatre, Philadelphia Art Alliance) and Men of Stone (Theater Catalyst; published by Playscripts.com). He is also the composer, lyricist and book author of A Passing Wind a musical about history’s greatest “fartiste” that premiered at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts’ inaugural Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts in 2011. Seth is the winner of two playwriting fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the 2006 Smith Prize (awarded by the National New Play Network), a 2002 Commission from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture, and two Barrymore Award nominations for Outstanding New Play. WILL LeBOW (Director) returns to New Repertory Theatre after performing The King of Second Avenue. Credits include Awake and Sing (Huntington Theatre Company); and n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
Act One (Lincoln Center Theater). As an American Repertory Theatre company actor he appeared in more than 55 productions over 17 seasons including The Merchant of Venice, Full Circle (Elliot Norton Award), Nocturne (Drama Desk Nomination), Endgame, Romance, Copenhagen, and Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Other credits include The Rivals, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and Sonia Flew (Huntington Theatre Company); Once in a Lifetime (American Conservatory Theater); and Casey at the Bat, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and world premieres of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Polar Express (Boston Pops). He is a veteran of 15 years with Shear Madness and three seasons with the Boston Shakespeare Company. Film and television credits include Act One (2015 release), Next Stop Wonderland, What Doesn’t Kill You, Second Sight, and six seasons as Stanley on Comedy Central’s Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist. HANKUS NETSKY (Music Consultation) is chair of New England Conservatory’s Contemporary Improvisation Department and Founder and Director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band. He has collaborated with playwright Robert Brustein on two musicals: The King of Second Avenue (New Repertory Theatre) and Shlemiel the First (American Repertory Theater and the American Musical Theatre Festival). Other musical scores include The Imported Bridegroom and Borsht Capades ‘94. He is musical director, producer, and arranger for Eternal Echoes, Itzhak Perlman’s much-acclaimed Jewish music collaboration featuring cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot, and In the Fiddler’s House, Perlman’s klezmer touring and recording project. His most recent project with Perlman, Rejoice, aired on Great Performances (PBS) in the fall of 2014. Mr. Netsky received a BM and an MM in Composition from New England Conservatory and a PhD in Ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University. He has been the recipient of the Forward Fifty award, a New England Conservatory Outstanding Alumni award, the Yosl Mlotek award, and the New
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England Conservatory Louis Krasner and Lawrence Lesser awards. He has taught at McGill University, Hampshire College, Wesleyan University, and Hebrew College. Originally from Philadelphia, he currently resides in Newton. JON SAVAGEº (Scenic Designer) returns to New Repertory Theatre after designing The Gift Horse, Broken Glass, The King of Second Avenue, Closer Than Ever, Imagining Madoff, The Elephant Man, and Holiday Memories. Recent area credits include Mrs. Packard (Bridge Rep Theatre); To Kill a Mockingbird (Gloucester Stage); The Disappearing Number (Underground Railway); The Farm (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); All’s Well That Ends Well (Elliot Norton Award, Best Production, Large Company); Comedy of Errors (Elliot Norton Award, Best Design, Large Company). Regional credits include Ryan Landry’s “M” (Huntington Theatre); A Grand Night for Singing (Bucks County Playhouse); State Fair (Walnut Street Theatre); Is He Dead (Olney Theatre); and Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Bay Street Theatre). Jon is currently on faculty at Boston University. NANCY LEARYº (Costume Designer) returns
to New Repertory Theatre after designing On the Verge, The Last Five Years, Permanent Collection (Elliot Norton Award) and Into the Woods (IRNE Award, Best Costume Design). She has experience in designing both highly conceptual and more traditional models of Opera and Theatre. Since 2000, Nancy has worked on premieres of new productions for Utah Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Virginia Opera, The Pittsburg Symphony among others. Theatre credits include Weston Playhouse, Commonwealth Shakespeare Co., The Julie Harris Stage, Shakespeare Theatre New Jersey, Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Orlando Shakespeare, Merrimack Repertory Theatre to name a few.
KAREN PERLOWº (Lighting Designer) returns to New Repertory Theatre after designing The Little Prince, Long Day’s
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Journey into Night, Cherry Docs, Mr. Roberts, Indulgences, Lieutenant of Inishmore, Frozen, Scapin, and Waiting for Godot. Recent credits include lighting design for Shakespeare in Love (SpeakEasy Stage Company); The Irish and How They Got That Way (Greater Boston Stage Company); Anna Christie and Hold These Truths (Lyric Stage Company); Peer Gynt (Boston Symphony Orchestra); and The Royale (Merrimack Repertory Theatre). She has taught Lighting Design at Northeastern University and MIT, and serves as treasurer of the Theater Community Benevolent Fund. She is the recipient of the 2002, 2006, and 2008 IRNE Award for Best Lighting Design, and Best Light Design at the NYC United Solo Theater Festival 2013. Originally from Pawtucket, RI, she currently resides in Somerville.
Avenue, and Closer Than Ever. Area stage management credits include Every Brilliant Thing (SpeakEasy Stage Company); Barbecue (Lyric Stage Company of Boston); Shoes On, Shoes Off (Brandeis Department of Theater Arts); Romeo & Juliet and Evil Dead: the Musical (Arts After Hours); Hamlet (Wax Wings Productions); Bully Dance (Argos Productions); and Hamlet (Bay Colony Shakespeare Company), among others. Ms. Freifeld is a graduate of Brandeis University, and currently resides in Newtonville. Up next, Ms. Freifeld will stage manage Dancing at Lughnasa (Gloucester Stage Company).
New Repertory Theatre after designing Lonely Planet, Statements After an Arrest, Fiddler on the Roof, and serving as Sound Engineer on multiple productions and events. Lee is a freelance sound designer, composer, music producer, and graduate of the Music Industry program at Northeastern University. Credits include Hype Man, Peerless, Really, and The T Party (Company One); Every Brilliant Thing, Grand Concourse, and Significant Other (SpeakEasy Stage Company); Fires in the Mirror and The King Stag (Tufts University); and The Women Who Mapped The Stars (The Nora Theatre Company). He is currently working on experimental electronic music to be released on his pet record label Human Nature Records, and he resides in Roxbury.
NEE M A J AN (Musician, Oud) is an Iranian multi-instrumentalist and composer. As a performer, he has been playing Persian Classical Music for more than 25 years. He has played in numerous recordings and concerts. He has performed in venues such as Boston’s historical Jordan Hall, MIT, Harvard University, Tuft University, Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY, and many more. As a performer, Neema mostly performs solo recitals with Setar (his main instrument), and frequently with Oud, and Kamanche. Recently, he has published a solo Setar album “The Kiss Belongs to Nobody” with a-side records. Neema holds a Bachelor degree in Performance of Persian Classical Music from Tehran school of Music, Master degree, and a Graduate Diploma in Contemporary Improvisation from New England Conservatory, Boston. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Composition with Minor in Music Theory at New England Conservatory, Boston.
BECCA FREIFELD* (Stage Manager) returns
G r an t Sm i th (Musician, Percussion)
LEE SCHUNA (Sound Designer) returns to
to New Repertory Theatre after serving as Stage Manager for Oleanna, Performance and Tour Stage Manager for Thurgood, Assistant Stage Manager for Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof, and Good, and Production Assistant on Freud’s Last Session, The Testament of Mary, The Snow Queen, A Number, Broken Glass, Scenes From an Adultery, The King of Second
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returns to New Repertory Theatre after performing percussion in The King of Second Avenue. He is involved in many world music, jazz, classical, and dance projects in Boston and New York. Other theatre credits include the The King Stag, Shlemiel The First (American Repertory Theater) and Borscht Capades. Mr. Smith has toured globally from Crakow to Thailand and New Zealand. He has performed
n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
with Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Don Byron, the Violent Femmes, Jane Wang and the Green Bay Packers. A member of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, and Klezperanto, Grant has performed on many stages from Radio City, Wolf Trap, and Tanglewood, to the Hollywood Bowl, MU in Budapest, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. JIM PETOSA (Artistic Director) joined New Repertory Theatre as an award-winning theatre artist, educator, and leader in 2012. He has served as Director of the School of Theatre, College of Fine Arts, at Boston University since 2002, and Artistic Director of Maryland’s Olney Theatre Center for the Arts and its National Players educational touring company (1994-2012). While at Boston University, he established the Boston Center for American Performance (BCAP), the professional production extension of the Boston University School of Theatre, in 2008. Throughout the Northeast, Mr. Petosa has directed for numerous institutions, including The Bakelite Masterpiece, Statements After An Arrest Under the Immorality Act, Lonely Planet, Ideation (IRNE Nomination), The Gift Horse, Brecht on Brecht, Good, Freud’s Last Session, The Testament of Mary, Broken Glass, Assassins, On the Verge, The Elephant Man (IRNE Nomination), Amadeus, Three Viewings, The Last Five Years, and Opus at New Rep. In Boston, his work was nominated for two IRNE awards for A Question of Mercy (BCAP). He has served as one of three artistic leaders for the Potomac Theatre Project (PTP/NYC) since 1987. In Maryland, his work earned over 25 Helen Hayes Award nominations as well as the award for outstanding direction of a musical for Jacques Brel is Alive and Well… His production of Look! We Have Come Through! was nominated for the Charles MacArthur Award for outstanding new play, and he
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earned the Montgomery County Executive’s Excellence in the Arts and Humanities Award for Outstanding Artist/Scholar. A member of Actors’ Equity Association, Mr. Petosa has served on the executive board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for StageSource. Originally from New Jersey, he was educated at The Catholic University of America and resides in Quincy. Harriet Sheets (Managing Director) joined
New Repertory Theatre in 2000. During her tenure, Ms. Sheets has successfully managed the theatre’s increasing operational budget, and moved the company from Newton Highlands to the Arsenal Center for the Arts, now Mosesian Center for the Arts. Ms. Sheets is treasurer of the Producers’ Association of New England Area Theatres (NEAT). Prior to working at New Rep, she was the General Manager at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, where she worked for nine years. Ms. Sheets began her career as an Actors’ Equity Association Stage Manager, working at North Shore Music Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Opera Company of Boston, and others. Originally from Arizona, she holds a BFA from Arizona State University and resides in Methuen.
* member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States ˚ member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829
Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, AEA represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. actorsequity.org
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about
new rep
mission
New Repertory Theatre produces plays that speak powerfully to the vital ideas of our time. w h at w e d o :
• Through the passion and electricity of live theater performed to the highest standards of
excellence, New Rep seeks to spark community conversations on crucial contemporary issues.
• Our work expands and challenges the human spirit of both artists and audiences. We
present world premieres, contemporary plays and classic works in several intimate settings. Our productions are designed to be accessible to all. We are committed to education and enrichment for learners of all ages, with a special dedication to the creation of innovative in-school programming and outreach to underserved audiences. We embrace theater as the basis for enduring connections with our community and as a springboard for meaningful civic engagement.
• New Rep is an active advocate for the arts and a major voice in the national dialogue defining the role of theater in our culture.
New Repertory Theatre is the award-winning, professional theatre company in residence at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA. For over 30 years, New Rep has been a leader of self-produced theatre in greater Boston, producing contemporary and classic dramas, comedies, and musicals in both the 340-seat MainStage Theater and the 90-seat BlackBox Theater. Annually, New Rep serves over 40,000 patrons, including 2,000 season subscribers. In addition to its season of productions, New Rep produces Next Voices, a program dedicated to developing new plays by our Next Voices Playwriting Fellows. Under its Lifelong Enrichment Arts Programs (LEAP), New Rep also produces its Classic Repertory Company, Page To Stage, Insider Experiences, and Spotlight Symposium Series. New Repertory Theatre, Inc. is a not-for-profit theatre company operating under a New England Area Theatres (NEAT) contract with Actors’ Equity Association and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. New Repertory Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group, a national service organization for non-profit professional theaters; StageSource, the Alliance of Theatre Artists and Producers; ArtsBoston; the Producer’s Association of New England Area Theatres (NEAT); New England Theatre Conference; VSA Arts-Massachusetts, a service and support organization promoting accessibility; Theatre Arts Marketing Alliance (TAMA); Boston Arts Marketing Alliance (BAMA); National New Play Network (NNPN); and Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities.
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n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
board of directors
advisory council
A.W. (Chip) Phinney III treasurer Jon Harris clerk Wendy Liebow
Andrew Brilliant, Gregory E. Bulger, Judi Cantor, Marcy Crary, Diane DiCarlo, Richard Dix, Jane Feigenson, C. Nancy Fisher, Carol S. Fischman, Christopher Flynn, Ralph Fuccillo, Virginia Inglis, B.J. Krintzman, Ted Kurland, Paul Levine, Michael McCay, Fred Miller, Peter Nessen, Daniel S. Newton, Carlos Ridruejo, Mary Rivet, Dan Salera, Phyllis Strimling, Richard Walker, Curtis Whitney
chair
Lillian Sober Ain, Ruth Budd, Joan Gallos, Jonathan Garlick, Donald Giller, Miriam Gillitt, David Kluchman, Shari Malyn, Matt McGuirk, Anita Meiklejohn, Laurie H. Nash, Pamela Taylor, Jo Trompet
artistic and production artistic director
administration managing director Harriet
Jim Petosa
general manager Alexis
associate artistic director
Bridget Kathleen O’Leary Leila Ghaemi production manager Hannah Huling education associate Lily Linke artistic associate
box office box office manager Angelica
Potter
box office associates
Katie Grindeland, Sarah Morrisette, Sarah Vandewalle house managers
Serena Cates, Katie Grindeland, Coriana Hunt Swartz, Sarah Spinella legal counselor Stanley B. Kay accountant Eliott Morra, CPA it support Mark W. Soucy, NCGIT ambassadors
Lloyd David, Scotty Hart, Virginia Inglis, Elissa Rogovin, Diane Smith
CLASSIC REPERTORY COMPANY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Sheets Dearborn
development director of major gifts and institutional
Mimi de Quesada Jillian Levine grant writer Mark W. Soucy advancement
development manager
marketing marketing & pr director
Michael Duncan Smith
CREATIVE SERVICES & MARKETING ASSOCIATE
Katy Doughty group sales associate Jan graphic design
Nargi Caridossa Design
photographers
Andew Brilliant / Brilliant Pictures, Christopher McKenzie videographer Robert Greim Interns
Alice Kabia, Mengdi Zhao
NEXT VOICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Karen Coyle Aylward, Kimo Carter, Jonathan Garlick, Clay Hopper, Lisa Stott
Kirsten Greenidge, Melinda Lopez, Bridget Kathleen O’Leary, Jim Petosa, Kate Snodgrass
CLASSIC REPERTORY COMPANY
NEXT VOICES PLAyWRITING FELLOW
Clay Hopper production designer Sean Perreira company Benjamin Finn, Lillian Gomes, Chris Kandra, Sarah Morrisette, Emma Tayce Palmer, Adrian Peguero, Slava Tchoul
Samantha Noble
director
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ne w rep
donors & partners
c o r p o r at e pa r t n e r s h i p p r o g r a m
For more information on our new Corporate Partnership Program, please visit newrep.org/sponsors s eas o n SPON SORS
PARTNER SPON SORS
The following list represents in-kind contributions and cash gifts made between 12/1/2016 - 4/12/18. Corporate Donors A Thoughtful Move Amazon.com The Arsenal Project Artemis Yoga ArtsBoston athenahealth Boston University Broadway in Boston Capaldi Limited Partnership Eastern Bank EverPresent Eversource Energy Fastachi Hammond Real Estate igive.com J. Stallone Realty Group Keller Williams Realty NCGIT R L Tennant Insurance Residence Inn by Marriott- Boston/Watertown Sotheby’s Realty Stewart International Travel Sun Bug Solar The Village Bank Watertown Savings Bank WGBH Wooden Kiwi Productions Matching Gifts AT&T Blue Cross Blue Shield Covidien Fiduciary Trust ExxonMobil Foundation Gartner Google IBM Matching Gifts Program Salesforce Sanofi Foundation of North America
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FOUNDATION Support Esther B. Kahn Foundation Foundation for MetroWest The Fuller Foundation GHR Foundation Gregory E. Bulger Foundation Highland Street Foundation The Marshall Home Fund Mass Humanities National New Play Network Richard & Susan Smith Family Foundation Roy A. Hunt Foundation Santa Barbara Foundation The Shubert Foundation The Solomon Foundation Watertown Community Foundation Government Support Boxford Cultural Council Brookline Commission for the Arts Burlington Cultural Council Cambridge Arts Council Carver Cultural Council Dedham Cultural Council Framingham Cultural Council Granby Cultural Council Marlborough Cultural Council Massachusetts Cultural Council MASSCreative Milford Cultural Council National Endowment for the Arts Shrewsbury Cultural Council Sudbury Cultural Council Waltham Cultural Council Watertown Commission on Disability Watertown Cultural Council
In-Kind Ancestry.com Ballroom in Boston Bay State Cleaners Blossoms Boston University Brilliant Pictures, Inc. Capaldi Limited Partnership Caridossa Catering with Distinction Commander’s Mansion Fastachi Irving House Stanley B. Kay La Casa de Pedro Legit Band Lindt Chocolate MEM Tea Imports Moldova Restaurant Elliot Morra, CPA NCGIT Not Your Average Joe’s Premier Bartending & Beverage Service Red Lentil Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurant Season to Taste Sensational Foods Solomon’s Collection & Fine Rugs Spindler Confections The Spirited Gourmet Stellina Restaurant Stockyard Restaurant Strip T’s Terry O’Reilly’s Vantage Graphics Vicki Lee’s WatertownNews.com WGBH
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individual donors Thank you to all of our individual contributors! Space does not permit us to list gifts under $50, but we are grateful to all of our generous supporters. The following list represents contributions and cash gifts made between 12/1/2016 - 4/12/18. Legacy Producing Partners $100,000+ Anonymous (3) Producing Partners $25,000-$99,999 Marcy Crary & Tim Hall Miriam Gillitt Platinum Production Partners $10,000-$24,999 Lillian Sober Ain Joy & A.W. (Chip) Phinney William & Helen Pounds Production Partners $5,000-$7,499 Anonymous (1) Holly Crary Donald Fulton Nan & Bill Harris Wendy Liebow & Scott Burson Chris Meyer & Mary Rivet Jim Petosa Vincent Piccirilli & Anita Meiklejohn Founders’ Society $2,500-$4,999 Stephen & Lisa Breit Ruth Budd & John Ehrenfeld Gregory Bulger & Richard Dix Lee & Amy Ellsworth Carol & Mitchell Fischman C. Nancy Fisher Delia Flynn Joan Gallos & Lee Bolman Jonathan Harris Chris & David Kluchman BJ Krintzman Shari Malyn & Jon Abbott Laurie Nash Harriet Sheets Pamela Taylor Leadership Society $1,500-$2,499 Anonymous (2) David & Sandy Bakalar Annette Furst & Jim Miller Don & Pamela Giller John & Sheila Hicinbothem Paul & Elizabeth Kastner Michael McCay & Dan Salera Neal & Lynne Miller Duncan Spelman & Elizabeth Grady Angels’ Society $1,000-$1,499 Anonymous (1) Cindy Aber Marty Ahrens & Gary M. Madison
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Mark & Carolyn Ain Betsy Ansin Michael Broad & Grace Massey Ann Buxbaum Jane Capaldi Iris Feldman Jonathan & Lauren Garlick Garth & Lindsay Greimann John B. Hawes & Emily Barclay Jonathan Hecht & Lora Sabin Brian & Robin Hicks Larry Manchester & Kathleen O’Connor Chris McKown & Abigail Johnson Jerry & Myrna Olderman Nancy Raphael Glenn Rosen & Ann Dannenberg Donald & Abby Rosenfeld Ann Ross Maria Saiz & Athelia Tilson Edward & Nancy Stavis Daniel Wagner Richard C. Walker III Barbara Wands Phillip & Tamar Warburg Arlene Weintraub Benefactors’ Society $500-$999 Anonymous (2) John & Mary Antes Henry & Sue Bass John and Kathleen Bradley Bill & Maria Brisk Mary Jo Campbell Laura & Mike Dreese Jane Feigenson Ralph Fuccillo & Paul Newman Erika Geetter & David Siegel Scott Gortikov & Ross Ozer Richard & Ilene Jacobs James Kamitses George Kinder & Kathy Lubar Edgar Knudson & Louis Mula Ted & Ann Kurland Susie & Chuck Longfield Robert Mashal & Shawna Giggey Walt & R. Eldridge Meissner Timothy & Deborah Moore Daniel Newton & Christopher Flynn Lowell Partridge Robert & Jackie Pascucci Jeff Poulos & Brad Peloquin Suzanne Priebatsch R. Lynn Rardin & Lynne A. O’Connell Nancy A. Risser Arnold & Linda Roth Chuck Schwager & Jan Durgin Stephen & Peg Senturia
Joseph Shrand Peter Smith & Donna J. Coletti Christoph Wald & Ute Gfrerer Arlene Weintraub Nancy Richmond Winsten Directors $250-$499 Anonymous (2) Deb Antonelli Barbara Apstein Fred & Judith Becker Kathleen Beckman & Theodore Postol Richard Berger & Ellen Glanz Donald & Ellen Bloch Kathleen & John Bradley Francine Brasseur Ronald & Elizabeth Campbell Judi Taylor Cantor Chester & Carol Cekala Judith Chasin Cary Coen Priscilla Cogan & CW Duncan Steven & Arlene Cohen Lloyd David Graham Davies & Jean Walsh Michael & Beth Davis Donald Dearborn Owen Doyle Myriel Eykamp Harold & Susan Farkas Glenda & Robert Fishman Ernestine Gianelly John C. Goodman & Virginia Jordan Barbara & Steven Grossman Kimberly Gurlitz & Eliot Morra Rona Hamada Michael & Sharon Haselkorn Susan Hepler Carole Hirsch Douglas Huber & Sallie Craig Anton Kris Tom Lewis Julianne Lindsay Will & Anastasia Lyman Lindsay McNair Eileen McNeely & Jeff Nadherny Richard S. Milsten, Esq. Lee Nadler Leslie Nelken Linda & Barry Nelson Ellen Perrin David & Donna Podolsky Barbara Poplack Peter & Ulrike Rettig Sharon Rich & Nancy Reed Peter & Sandra Roby Serge & Tanya Savard Cynthia Sickler Ellen Simons
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Ruth Spack Barbara Spivak & Peter Loewinthal Martha Stearns Herman & Joan Suit Judith A. Thomson Evelyn & Joel Umlas Denise Wernikoff Curtis Whitney Players $150-$249 Anonymous (2) Joel Abrams Edward Boesel James & Jean Bourdon Melissa & Lisa Caten Eric & Pam Diamond Glenn Edelson Lee & Inge Thorn Engler Richard & Katherine Floyd Richard & Nancy Fryberger Walter Gilbert Mark & Janet Gottesman Malcolm & Susan Green Eva Guinan Christina & Chip Hall Scotty Hart Peter E. Haydu Edward & Pamela Hoffer Jeffrey Hughes & Nancy Stauffer Virginia Inglis Martin & Phyllis J. Kornguth Patti Marcus & Paul Koch Alisa Marshall & David J. Kovacs Thomas & Deborah Melone Paras Patel Joan Perera Patricia Robinson & Henry Finch Stanley & Rhoda Sakowitz Daniel Sheingold Harvey & Rita Simon Martha Stearns Paula Thier Evelyn & Joel Umlas Peter & Florence Vanderwarker Jean Walsh Friends $50-$149 Anonymous (2) Robin Abrahams Phllis Adams Jane Adolph & Bill Poznik Colin Anderson Michael Aylward Fred & Mary Baker David Baxter Judith Becker Jeannette Belcher-Schepis Eva Benda Richard Berger & Ellen Glanz Robert Berk Lois Landau Berman Freya Bernstein Stuart Bernstein Susan Bernstein Elizabeth Bjorkman Lorraine Bossi John & Kathleen Bradley Linda Braun
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Linda Brodt & Paul Katz Tamar Brown Michelle Brownlee Judi Burten & Kevin Soll Victor Calcaterra & Mary Scanlon Tayler Capaldi John Carlow Deboah Carr Judith Chaffee Maureen Coffin Donna Cohen Jacqueline Colby Dorothy & Richard Cole R. John & Joan Collier Roxann Cooke Donald Coppack James W. & Linda Crawford Bruce Creditor Bonnie Creinin Mara Crounse Harold Crowley Milagros Cruz Mary Cummings Susan DeMarco Eric & Pam Diamond Arthur & Nicky Dimattia Gail Doherty J. Patrick & Susanne Dowdall Charles Duncan Virginia Dushame Marilyn Eichner Kathleen Engel & Jim Rebitzer Phyllis Ettinger Jerome Facher Edith Fenton Glenda & Robert Fishman Deborah Flannery Jean Flatley McGuire Carol A. Flynn John Foote & Kristin Rupert Harold & Carol Forbes David & Gita Foster Nancy H. & Richard Fryberger Frank V. Gages Jesse Garlick Sharon Gates Barbara Gawlick Charles & Richard Gazarian Susan Getman Lucretia Giese Walter Gilbert Herbert Gish & Alfreda Piecuch Nyla Gislason Georgia Glick Leon & Phyllis Goldman Donald Goldstein Joseph Goodman Harriet Gould Daniel B. Green & Susan Skelley Kiki & Jim Gross Marvin & Joanne Grossman Audrey Haas Todd Michael Hall Marilyn Hamburger Bobbi Hamill Sylvia Hammerman Jay Hanflig
Marie Hannon Ilana Hardesty & John Emery David Harris Susan Haule Charles &Natasha Haverty Peter Haydu Lauren Heier Ann R. & Philip B. Heymann Marie Hobart Andrew Holden John Hope Philip Horwitz Elisabeth Howe Mary A. Hubbard Judith Hurwitz Henry & Martha Jacoby Carol J. Jenson & Steven P. Willner Fred Johnson David Jones Jeffrey & Judith Kalla Ellen L. & Robert S. Kaplan Fern Kaplan Susan S. Kaplan Eva Karger Stuart & Ellen Kazin William & Rheta C. Keylor E. Patricia Killory Phebe Kiryk Louise Kittredge Richard & Ronnie Klein Irving & Ann Kofsky Stephen Kraffmiller Naomi Krasner Allen & Jeanne Krieger Susan G. Krinsky Maureen Kruskal Joan Lancourt Ksenia Lanin Virginia Leavy Robert & Helen Lebowitz Suzette Levenson David & Audrey Levington Frederick & Doris Lewis Ilene Lieberman Reuel & Malvina Liebert Sigrid Lindo Cheryl Lindsay Brooke & Paul Lipsitt Natasha Lisman Leonta Longman &Pauline Rosco Laura & Ery Magasanik Gami Maislin Richard & Candace Mandel Margaret & George Mansfield Deena Marlette Grace Marzynski William & Jo McConaghy Katherine McGuinness Jerome Medalie Rachel Mele & Jeffrey Scherz Karole Mendelsohn Karen Miller Lois Miller Debra Minard John Miner Katalin Mitchell Kati Mitchell
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Rick & Lynne Montross Viola Morse Eileen Murray Elaine Murray Greg Nash Steve & Judi Nichols Nancy Nugent Elizabeth Hall Olszewski Judy Paradis Lisa Parker Diane F. Paulson James Pazzanese Roy & Jean Perkinson Richard Perlmutter Deborah Peterson, Susan Falkoff, & Janet Jameson Dr. Ian C. Pilarczyk Anne Marie Plasse P.J. Plauger Genevieve Pluhowski Thomas & Elena Powers Joseph Pranevich Bruce Price Charles & Frances Przyjemski John Quatrale Ilyse D. Robbins & Glen Mohr Anita W. Robboy Elissa Rogovin Janet Rosen Mona & Phil Rosen Ken & Janet Rosenfield Robert & Pauline Rothenberg Peggy Rothschild Yvonne Sacks
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Mary Scanlon & Victor Calcaterra John & Lily Schlafer Alvin & Peggy Schmertzler Nancy Schรถn Liliane Schor Charlotte Seeley Ruth T. Segaloff Lolly Selenkow Ingrid Shaffer Robert Shapiro John & Linda Sheehan Sheila & Harry Shulman Effie Shumaker Evelyn Shumsky Phyllis Shycon Margaret Simons Nancy Sizer Susan Skelley & Daniel B. Green Carole Slattery Gary & Elizabeth Smith Emily Smith-Sturr & Ted Sturr Rachael Solem Marvin Sparrow Becky Squier & Herb Lin Leslie Stacks Joe Stallone Nancy Stauffer & Jeffrey Hughes Bobbie & Bob Steinbach Marilyn Stone Susan Stott Phyllis Strimling Jean Stringham Mary Sullivan Roberta & Jim Swenson
Paul A. Syrakos Martin & Carol Thrope Eva Travers Mark & Janis Urbanek Elaine Vaan Hogue Charles Valentine & Mary Beth Maisel Clare Villari Vicki Vogt Alice Wadden Kathleen & Ted Wade Diana Wainrib Linda Waintrup Ajay Wakhloo Jean Walsh Bonnie Waters Alice & Rick Weber Christopher Weikart Deborah & Scott Weiss Ellen Westheimer David & Sharon White Larry & Jane Wilcox Barbara & Tom Williams Robert Willis Roswitha Winsor Toni Wolinsky Karen Zander Robert Zaret & Jean Holmblad Geraldine Zetzel
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Subscribe for as little as $121! Call the Box Office at 617-923-8487 or visit newrep.org/subscribe S E A R I N G SATI R I C A L C O M E DY
Straight White Men by
Young Je an Lee
a ne w engl and premiere
SEP 7-30/2018 C O M P E LLI N G H I S TO R I C A L D R A M A
We Will Not Be Silent by
David Me yers
a ne w engl and premiere
OCT 13-NOV 4/2018 a m e r i c a’ s p r ize w i n n i n g m u s i c a l
1776 Sherman Edwar ds Pe ter S tone
m u s i c a n d ly r i c s b y book by
based on a concept by
NOV 30-DEC 23/2018
SHERMAN EDWARDS Pe ter Hunt the broa dway s tage by stuart ostrow
original production by o r igin a l ly pro d u ced o n
E VO C ATI V E E X I S TE NTI A L D R A M A
Heartland by
Jan 12-Feb 9/2019
Gabriel Ja son De an
a national new pl ay net work rolling world premeire
INSPIRATI O NAL O NE - W O MAN m u s i c a l
Feb 9-Mar 3/2019
Still Standing writ ten and performed by
Anita Holl ander
E N GAG I N G S O C I O - P O LITI C A L D R A M A
Cardboard Piano by
Hansol Jung
a ne w engl and premiere
MAR 23-APR 14/2019 H e a rt wa r m i n g b i o g r a p h i c a l c o m e dy
Becoming Dr. Ruth by
MARK ST. GERMAIN
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See you next season! bu.edu/booth
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audience
information
B ox Of f ice In formatio n
The New Rep Box Office is open Tuesday - Sunday from noon until 5pm. On performance days, the window will be open until fifteen minutes after the last performance begins. For the most up to date hours, please visit newrep.org. Acce ssi bility
Patrons requiring accessible seating should inform the Box Office staff when ordering tickets. The building is equipped with wheelchair-accessible restrooms on each floor. The MainStage Theater is equipped with a Tele-Coil Loop System. Patrons with hearing aids and cochlear implants can set their devices to “T-Coil” to take advantage of the assistive listening system. Patrons wishing for assistive listening devices may pick up a headset from the Box Office upon arrival at the theater. Patrons wishing to use large-print or Braille programs can pick one up from the Box Office upon arrival. Patrons who will be bringing guide dogs to the theater should advise the Box Office staff when ordering tickets. Pa rking
There is a free parking garage on the Arsenal campus, directly across from the Mosesian Center. The parking garage has handicap accessible parking and an elevator on each level. Please do not park in “15 minute” or “30 minute” spaces, or any space designated for a particular company when attending a performance. C h i ldre n
Babes-in-arms are not permitted in the theater during performances. New Rep encourages the introduction of young audiences to the theatre. Children under 14 years of age are required to have a parent or guardian present with them in the theater during the performance. Some shows may contain strong language and/or mature themes; patrons may request additional information when purchasing tickets. P h otog raph y & Recor d i n g
All photography, videotaping, and audio recording are strictly prohibited inside the theater. L ate comers
All latecomers will be seated at the discretion of management in the most accessible seats, in order to minimize distractions.
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M AY 4 - JUNE 2
“SEE IT AND CHEER!” - The New York Daily Observer
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M ARC ACITO, Jay KUO, & LORENZO THIONE di r e c t e d by
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JAY KUO
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SPEAKEASYSTAGE.COM @speakeasystage
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